Six people were killed in the gun battle and 35 arrested from a ship which, the Army then said, was carrying arms for rebel groups in India's north-east. A large quantity of arms and ammunition were also seized. In its letter to Fernandes late last month, the NUPA claimed that their men, who had been killed and captured in the `Operation Leech', were ``neither armed smugglers nor gun-runners to the anti-Indian N-E rebels.'' The NUPA letter, signed by Khin Maung, `in charge of foreign affairs', describes the arrested men as its members who were ``carrying our own belongings for our Arakanindependence war against the Burmese colonists''.

Significantly, the NUPA claims that it had been maintaining secret liaison with the Indian authorities for nearly a year before the February 11 incident occurred. To substantiate the claim, it has sent to Fernandes a copy of the letter, dated February 13, 1997, in which Khiang Raza, secretary of the NUPA's `military committee', authorised Saw Tun, a committee member, to carry out necessary cooperation with the Indian Army.

NUPA also claims that the Indian authorities had been informed of the `Arakan Army expedition' on February 8. ``Detailed lists of photos of combat and non-combat material and the list of men on board'' were given to ``Col. Grewal of the Indian military intelligence''. It has sent the lists to Fernandes along with the letter.

The NUPA's claim may prove embarrassing for India because it suggests that India was aiding and abetting a rebel group, particularly so in view of Fernandes's recent outbursts on the Chinese surveillance activistsin the Myanmarese port in Coco Island.

Rebel group leaders are still confused as to why the Indian authorities launched the `Operation Leech', although it cooperated with the latter and informed them of the expedition in advance.

They claim, they maintained a quid pro quo with India - they kept the Indian authorities informed of arms movements for north-east rebels along the sea route from south-east Asian countries in return for Indian help in their movement. Of the rebel groups in Myanmar, only NUPA operates in the sea. The NUPA leadership is believed to have approached the Indian authorities for clarification but without success. It now argues that either the Indian authorities made a ``huge blunder'', genuinely mistaking its ship for one carrying arms for the north-eastern rebels or India has ``betrayed'' NUPA to build bridges with the Myanmarese junta.